Be nice to have this info on a sticky thread so we can refer new members to it when they ask that "how do I buy my first drum set" question.
Heck, I would have read it and learned something three years ago when I got back into drumming.

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"To play a wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable." - Beethoven

This is a nice thread for the new first time buyer or parents looking help. After looking at the thread maybe spend a day or two going through a few pages in the drum, cymbal, pedal, other equipment forums to see what we have to say on things. Even take a look at our classified section.

What I need is a "How To Stop Buying Drums Guide"! Even a nagging wife and therapy haven't helped. "Hi, my name is Mark and I have GAS. Whoops, excuse me, it must've been the broccoli, honest!" Merry Christmas everybody!!

Birch is very dense and tough, with a harder and brighter sound than maple or mahogany. Its loud, bright tone makes birch excellent for recording, as it easily cuts through the mix with its clarity. Birch features enhanced highs and lows with a reduced midrange.

Mahogany has an enhanced low end and midrange with reduced highs. The sound is slightly warmer than maple and is said to have a "vintage" character.

Poplar is a low-cost alternative to maple or birch. The sound is similar to birch or mahogany.

Lol.. Truth be told, I prefer their answer over an honest answer, because honest answers are so incredibly complicated and have to account for the entire construction. In the guitar world you end up with something like this...

If the construction is somewhere in the middle, it almost doesn't matter what wood you use. To a $500 guitar buyer, that graph is as inconsequential as the wood used in their guitar.

Andy, You totally need to make a drum wood chart, even if it's just a parody.

Birch is very dense and tough, with a harder and brighter sound than maple or mahogany. Its loud, bright tone makes birch excellent for recording, as it easily cuts through the mix with its clarity. Birch features enhanced highs and lows with a reduced midrange.

Mahogany has an enhanced low end and midrange with reduced highs. The sound is slightly warmer than maple and is said to have a "vintage" character.

Poplar is a low-cost alternative to maple or birch. The sound is similar to birch or mahogany.

Just gotta say I think the DW drum round lugs are ugly . Not only that but the distance apart that they are supported is kinda close. I just ordered a classic maple set from Ludwig and ordered them with large classic lugs, not the cheap mini's. Large classic lugs will structurally place more secure tension on the drum head .
Just an observation point. The "DW" round ones look like a cartoon drawing. Just look cheap and ugly.

Lol.. Truth be told, I prefer their answer over an honest answer, because honest answers are so incredibly complicated and have to account for the entire construction. In the guitar world you end up with something like this...

If the construction is somewhere in the middle, it almost doesn't matter what wood you use. To a $500 guitar buyer, that graph is as inconsequential as the wood used in their guitar.

Andy, You totally need to make a drum wood chart, even if it's just a parody.

Greg Gaylord over at Drum Solo Custom Drums had a chart that listed the various woods that he used that even listed the janka hardness scale rating for a species of wood, not sure if he is still in the business...

Just gotta say I think the DW drum round lugs are ugly . Not only that but the distance apart that they are supported is kinda close. I just ordered a classic maple set from Ludwig and ordered them with large classic lugs, not the cheap mini's. Large classic lugs will structurally place more secure tension on the drum head .
Just an observation point. The "DW" round ones look like a cartoon drawing. Just look cheap and ugly.

Love Ludwig

How they look is subjective. But to say Ludwig lugs structurally place more tension? That's just not even close to being true. Rack toms have 6 lugs per side, floor toms have 8 per side kicks and snares have 10 per side just like Ludwig. DW has a higher thread count on their tension rods providing more tuning range. I like Ludwig drums too, they just do it a different way. If you like the look of one over the other that's subjective.